The Comstock Raid
by suzie2b
Summary: The Rat Patrol must rescue a captured American major before he is sent on to Germany.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **The Comstock Raid**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The Rat Patrol had set up their small base of operations in Borj el-Khadra on the southernmost tip of Tunisia between Algeria and Libya. From there they would drive through approximately 605 kilometers of open desert to El Oued, a town in German held Algeria near the Tunisian border.**

 **Sergeants Troy and Moffitt were sitting at the small table studying a map in the one room apartment acquired for them by an Arab operative named Kareem. They were there waiting for the go-ahead to start their mission.**

 **Hitch sat on a chair next to the desk that held their radio equipment, fidgeting restlessly with his glasses. "We've been sitting here for five days. Why's it taking them so long to contact us?"**

 **Moffitt replied, "Command wants to be sure that Major Comstock has been relocated to the POW holding area in El Oued. As soon as they know he's actually there, we'll be on our way. If we go in to soon, the Germans may get wind of our plans."**

 **Troy sighed. "We'll only have a couple of days before the major and any other prisoners will be shipped off to Germany."**

 **Tully walked in from his trip to the local watering hole called Тхе Русты Наил, which is Arabic for The Rusty Nail. The bar was run by their operative, Kareem, who was quite good at keeping his eyes and ears open.**

 **Troy looked at him as he closed the door. "What's the word?"**

 **Tully leaned against the wall. "According to Kareem there's been a bit of scuttlebutt about a German convoy spotted heading for El Oued."**

" **Any sign of prisoners?"**

" **He heard it said that there were two covered trucks and a lot of guards, but no mention of prisoners."**

 **Troy nodded. "Chances are that's the one we're waiting on." He looked at Hitch and said, "I want you to go to the bar at around 1900 hours. If we haven't heard anything before then, hopefully Kareem will have more information for us."**

 **When Hitch returned at eight o'clock he reported that their informant had not heard anything new.**

 **################################**

 **It was the middle of the night when the radio came to life with the news that their mission was a go. Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully packed up and headed out before sunup.**

 **After nine hours of hard driving, they reached El Oued. It was just getting dark when Troy sent his two privates out to scout around.**

 **Hitch and Tully returned to report that there was just one way in and out of the town. Hitch said, "There was only one guard at the gate and he looked bored to death."**

 **Tully had been able to get up on one of the walls to do a little surveillance and said, "I saw where the prisoners' barracks are. Right next to their headquarters. Not many guards around. If fact, I didn't see too many people in general."**

 **Troy asked, "What about armament?"**

" **Didn't see a motor pool. Saw two trucks parked next to the prisoners' barracks. There were two halftracks and a Panzer II sitting in front of headquarters."**

 **Moffitt questioned, "By chance did you actually see any prisoners?"**

 **Tully shook his head. "Not a one. Now that I think about it the barracks were dark."**

" **A little early yet for bed. You would think there would be some sort of movement inside."**

 **Hitch asked, "Do you think they somehow found out about us coming for the major?"**

 **Troy said, "It's always a possibility. We can't be sure what to expect."**

 **Moffitt agreed. "We don't have a choice though. We have to go in tonight."**

 **Troy nodded. "We've got a while before we go in. Hitch, you and Tully get some rest. We'll trade off in a couple hours. Make sure you both eat something when get up."**

 **The private heard footsteps and could tell it was Troy before the sergeant said, "Anything new going on, Tully?"**

" **Nothing. Quiet and dark."**

 **Troy took the binoculars and looked out at the dark silhouette that was El Oued. "All right. Let's get going."**

 **Once they were on the wall Tully pointed out headquarters and the prisoners' barracks. Troy whispered, "Has anything changed?"**

 **Tully squinted into the moonlit darkness, spotted the trucks, halftracks, and the tank, and then whispered, "That staff car wasn't parked in front of headquarters before. Other than that nothing's moved."**

 **There was a light on in one of the rooms on the second floor. A shadow passed in front of the window's thin curtain. They quietly crossed the courtyard to the prisoners' barracks. A hole was cut in the wire fencing and they crossed the small yard to the door. Tully and Hitch crouched down to keep watch outside while Troy and Moffitt went into the barracks.**

 **A second after the door closed the lights inside came on and a German voice loudly said, "Ihre Waffen! Legen Sie die Hände in die Luft!"**

 **Hitch and Tully glanced at each other before they quickly went out the way they'd come in. As they ducked down around the corner, they heard the door open and a voice said, "Es ist niemand hier, Hauptmann." Then the door clicked shut.**

 **Hitch and Tully peeked cautiously around the corner and saw a German sentry standing next to the door.**

 **################################**

 **Troy and Moffitt were pushed into chairs and the German captain said, "I am Captain Becker. We thought there might be an attempt to free your major so we prepared this little ruse just in case." He smiled. "It seems that we've caught a couple of rats in our trap. The pictures we have of you and Sergeant Moffitt do not do you justice. Where are your other two men, Sergeant Troy?"**

 **Troy looked up at the captain. "They couldn't make the party."**

" **I honestly do not believe you."**

 **Troy shrugged. "Believe what you want, captain. You can't find what isn't here."**

 **Captain Becker said to his men, "Überall suchen. Die beiden anderen Männer." Two of the soldiers left to organize a search party. He then said to the other two men, "Diese beiden zu verbinden."**

 **Hitch and Tully watched as Troy and Moffitt were escorted out of the barracks and into headquarters. Hitch whispered, "We better get out of here so we can figure out how to get them out of there."**

 **Tully reluctantly nodded and the two of them retreated to their exit.**

 **################################**

 **Back at the jeeps Tully said, "We can't go back in there. The Germans will be waiting for us."**

 **Hitch nodded. "Yeah, but what if we wait for morning and see if they take the prisoners to the airfield? We could hit them then."**

" **Okay, that's our best option for now. Let's just hope the transport to the airfield isn't too well guarded."**

 **They waited and watched until the sun came up. Tully brought two K-ration breakfasts and a canteen. "Here … take a break and eat something."**

 **Hitch and Tully sat down on the ground and opened their respective boxed meals. Hitch stared at El Oued as he ate and said, "Do you think that plane will come today?"**

 **Tully sighed. "I hope so. They don't normally hold prisoners that long here."**

 **It was nearly noon when a plane made its approach and landed at the airfield. An hour later two staff cars and a halftrack left El Oued heading for the airfield.**

 **Tully checked with binoculars and said, "Yep, that's them. Troy and Moffitt are in one staff car. That must be Major Comstock in the other." He handed the binoculars to Hitch. "There's just the one halftrack carrying maybe four men and a driver. We should be able to handle it."**

 **Hitch gave a nod. "Right. Let's do this."**

 **################################**

 **Troy was watching the desert, looking for any sign of Hitch and Tully. They'd been smart not to try a rescue before morning. He expected them to appear before they got to the airfield.**

 **It wasn't long before Troy saw the jeep in the distance. Carefully nudging Moffitt so their guard in the front seat wouldn't notice, Troy got him to follow his line of sight. Moffitt gave a slight nod.**

 **Seconds later the sound of a 50 caliber machine gun could be heard. The first volley took out the driver and guard in the lead car. Major Comstock took cover behind the seat. That's when the Germans in the halftrack began to open fire.**

 **Troy and Moffitt were able to dispatch their driver and guard while Tully drove the jeep at the halftrack with Hitch manning the 50. The two sergeants pushed the dead Germans out of the car and Troy got behind the wheel. Then quickly drove to the other staff car to pick up Major Comstock before heading into the desert.**

 **Tully drove wide circles around the now disabled halftrack after Hitch had killed the driver and broke off the attack only when he saw the staff car speeding away. Then he floored it to catch up and lead the way back to the other jeep.**

 **When they stopped where Hitch and Tully had left the second jeep, Hitch jumped out of the back, but Tully didn't move. As Hitch started to walk away, he noticed Tully's lack of movement and went back. "Everything okay, Tully?"**

 **He was holding his left side and when he pulled his hand back it was covered in blood.**

 **Hitch's eyes widened and he said as he knelt next to his friend, "Sarge! Tully's been hit!"**

 **By the time Troy and Moffitt got to them Hitch had Tully's left arm out of his jacket. Troy grabbed a med kit and said, "Hitch, go make sure they're not out there lookin' for us."**

 **Hitch nodded and grabbed a machine gun out of its holster and the binoculars. Moffitt checked the wound in Tully's side then pressed gauze against it to stop the bleeding. Tully groaned softly and tried to hang onto consciousness.**

 **Major Comstock stood back and watched as Troy and Moffitt got the bleeding under control and Tully bandaged. Then they carefully moved him to the passenger seat. As Moffitt prepared to give Tully a shot of morphine, the major asked, "Will he be all right?"**

 **Troy replied, "Tully's strong and stubborn. There'll be a doctor over the Tunisian border in Tozeur."**

" **Tozeur? I thought we were going to Borj el-Khadra?"**

" **Sorry, sir, but Tully won't be able to make it that far. Tozeur is only about three hours from here. Once we're there I'll contact your people and tell them where they can pick you up."**

 **Major Comstock nodded. "I understand, sergeant. Thank you."**

 **Hitch returned and said, "Looks like they're coming out to search for us."**

 **Moffitt said, "Tully's ready to go."**

 **################################**

 **A little more than half-way to Tozeur, over the Tunisian border, Tully started to vomit blood. They stopped and put him into the back of the jeep.**

 **Troy climbed in and settled the private back against his chest. "Easy, Tully. Just hang on." He looked at Moffitt. "You get us to that hospital as fast as you can."**

 **By the time they reached the Red Cross hospital in Tozeur, Tully had a raging fever. He was quickly examined and taken into surgery. Troy stopped the doctor and asked, "What are his chances, doc?"**

 **With an Irish brogue Dr. Kelly said, "I am guessing the bullet perforated his stomach. He's lost a lot of blood and his fever is out of control. You do the math, sergeant. We'll do everything we can for him."**

 **The wait was hard on Tully's friend. They sat together in a café drinking the strong local coffee.**

 **Major Comstock appeared at their table and waved off their attempt to come to attention. "How is the private doing?"**

 **Moffitt indicated the empty chair at the table. "Please join us, major. We haven't heard anything yet. We just know that he's a very sick young man, sir."**

" **I hope he pulls through. If it hadn't been for him and his fellow private here, we'd be in a German POW camp right now."**

 **Troy said, "I have a lot of faith and trust in my men, sir. Hitchcock and Pettigrew are two of the best."**

 **Major Comstock nodded. "I can certainly understand why, sergeant. Have you had a chance to contact the unit that's supposed to get me to Tunis?"**

" **I radioed them after leaving Tully at the hospital. They'll be here to pick you up sometime tomorrow, sir."**

" **Thank you, sergeant. If I don't get a chance to see Private Pettigrew before I leave, please convey my thanks." The major turned to Hitch and put his hand out. "I want to thank you as well, Private Hitchcock. The four of you make a great team."**

 **Hitch smiled slightly as he took the offered hand. "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure to tell Tully what you said."**

 **################################**

 **Tully survived the surgery, but his condition was critical. He had lost thirty percent of his blood volume and had to receive whole blood transfusions from Hitch and others. He was bathed with cool water in hopes that it and the antibiotics would get the infection and fever under control. The doctors and nurses were doing everything possible.**

 **After two days of intense treatment, Tully's fever broke and Dr. Kelly told Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch that he was guardedly optimistic that Tully was on the mend.**

 **Two more days passed. Tully had been laying there for a while, not quite able to get his eyes to open, listening to Moffitt's voice reading what sounded like a story by Hans Christian Anderson, but not able to remember the title. Finally, with a lot of coaxing from his fuzzy brain, Tully slowly opened his eyes. Moffitt's voice went quiet and he wondered what had happened. Then there was a hand on his arm.**

 **When Tully looked at him, Moffitt smiled and said quietly, "Welcome back."**

 **The days passed and Tully continued to slowly recover. Eventually, he was allowed to sit up in bed, then in a wheelchair. In time he was able to tolerate water to the point where they removed the IV fluids and nutrients and started him on a liquid diet.**

 **By the time Tully was transferred to the hospital at Ras Tanura he was getting antsy to get back to work, but it would be a while yet before that would happen. He was sitting on an exam table in medical with Charley at his side a week after being released from the hospital. Dr. Baker was quite happy with Tully's progress.**

 **When the examination was over Tully asked, "So when can I go back to work?"**

 **Dr. Baker smiled. "Let's give it another two weeks."**

 **Tully was dismayed. "Two weeks? But I'm feeling good. I haven't had any pain in more than a week."**

" **And I want to keep it that way. If you check out good in two weeks I'll release you to go back to your unit."**

 **After the doctor walked away, Tully started to put his shirt on as Charley asked, "So are you getting tired of being around me so much?"**

 **Tully gave her a puzzled look as she started to button his shirt. "Why would you ask that?"**

 **Charley put on her best pout and said, "Well, we have been around each other nearly twenty-four hours a day since you got back. And you seem awfully anxious to go back out on patrol…"**

 **Tully, who was still sitting on the exam table, pulled Charley close and kissed her passionately. Then he said, "You are the one person I will never get tired of."**

 **Charley smiled. "Promise?"**

" **Promise."**

 **Tully was kissing her again when Vicky walked up with a smile. "Okay you two. Take that home before I have to throw a bucket of water on you."**


End file.
